Hope someone can help - credit card problems

ruthem215

My hubby has a credit card which we have been paying off for some time now, and don't seem to be getting anywhere!! (He was very stupid in the past and had a few internet companies charging to his card from the past before we met which I didn't know about until just recently). He had stopped using the websites and just been ignoring the problem (by not cancelling subscriptions etc!!!) and obv has got worse and by not cancelling them its carried on.

We have tried to cancel quite a few some success some not. Mainly due to the fact that when we try to search for the company it details on the credit card bill there is no such business! So every month we go through the same battle more charges!!!! And no way of cancelling them = so frustrating!

Is there anyway I can get rid of these companies charging the card every month, without contacting them directly, as I've said we've tried to find out which companies they are and can't find them anywhere.

These companies are chargning almost £200 a month on this one card, which we really can't cope with anymore, we've tried to cancel everything and just isn't improving!!

Similar thing with his bank account, we now have a joint account so tried to cancel his old account and again cannot due to some of these dodgy charges! WE tried to get rid of them but again some we cannot find, and te bank will not close the account until the account is at 0 (which we keep putting it to 0) and no more charges are due to come out. Which obv is a huge mess as we constantly have bank charges on this account as his wages are no longer going into this account.

Its just one huge big mess.

For the credit card the only thing I can think of is to get a new credit card and transfer the balance over, and close the old card, pay the amount off on the new card each month as normal so that these companies can't charge the card anymore. But then that leaves the issue with unable to cancel the old card as more charges are always due to the card, leaving us in the same position as the bank account is.

Really not sure where to turn? whats the best idea for us to get out of this hell hole. I'm due to give birth in less than 3 months, and we really can't afford to have this 'unneccessary debt' hanging over our heads.:eek:

Paulos77

With your bank account are these charges set as direct debits? if so can you not just cancel them? .

With my bank I can cancel any direct debits whenever I like.

Im not sure about your cards though I just though If you cancel your card then thats it. Maybe someone else will be able to sheds some light on that

NickX

I agree that Direct Debits on a Bank Account can be cancelled by the bank in question, however the Credit Card payments will not be Direct Debits. They are known as Continuous Payment Authorities (CPAs) and are evil.

These MUST be cancelled with the company who set them up. If you cancel the card, and then a CPA gets charged, the account will simply get re-opened and you will still get charged.

You need to find out exactly who these companies are and request that the contracts are cancelled. If they then continue to charge the Credit Card, then you could report the payments as fraudulent, but you must first request cancellation with the company themselves.

Good Luck.

ruthem215

thanks, unfort not direct debits so theres no way i can cancel them, as its just a constant payment each month?

sophiak

Hi ruthem215,

You could try talking to your bank if they could be of any help.

Moggles_2

It sounds as though your husband arranged a regular payment from his current account and his credit card termed a continuous payment authority [CPA]. Once set up, you can’t cancel these. Neither can the credit card provider or the bank. Only the company you've agreed to pay can do this. Therefore, if he closes his bank a/c or cancels the credit card without notifying the payee(s), payments will continue to be charged to the closed accounts.

I would advise anyone to avoid CPAs to a credit or debit card, as you will have very little control and the bank has none either. It can cancel a direct debit for you at any time or you can do it yourself via internet or phone banking. However, as the name suggests, your husband has given a third party, the authority to debit his accounts and they will continue to do so even when an account is closed. You can help him identify the payees but, as the customer, he will have to contact them directly and get them to stop it.

Very best
M

ddav4

hi, I read your message on CPA's with interest, I wondered if you could clarify that if I paid off all my outstanding balance on my Visa card and <terminated my Visa card entirely> would this have an effect of stopping any more unauthorised CPA's being applied to my Visa card by a scam company?

Thank you in advance for your input.

Mozette

ddav4 wrote: »

hi, I read your message on CPA's with interest, I wondered if you could clarify that if I paid off all my outstanding balance on my Visa card and <terminated my Visa card entirely> would this have an effect of stopping any more unauthorised CPA's being applied to my Visa card by a scam company?

Thank you in advance for your input.

No it wouldn't. You would still be liable. You have to get the company taking the payments to cancel the agreement.

ddav4

.....right, but what about if the scam company does not accept your request to cancel with them and you have written evidence requesting your cancellation of account with that company by sending the letter to the company which requires a signature on delivery, so the company not could not deny receiving it?

Obi167

Then you can report the payment as fraudulent.

ILW

Are these fraudulent transactions, or were they agreed to at some point in the past?